Investigation: The Thirteenth Nebula Cup Disaster
by timsterp
Summary: This story explores the disaster at the Nebula Cup race on Calmwind, an event that causes Hakuoh Jogakuin to be banned from the race for five years. A second year middle-schoolgirl from a wealthy family, two seniors with a dark secret, and a tomboyish first year middle-schoolgirl at the center of it all. And interweave through it all, an evil man tugs at the Puppets' strings...
1. Chapter 1 Advocates

Disclaimer: I do not own Bodacious Space Pirates or any of the characters thereof. This story contains mature content, including strong language and some yuri content. Okay, a lot of yuri content. If yuri is not your thing, you may not enjoy this story. Or this series, for that matter. Or most Anime. Or Gilligan's Island. Or Berkeley. Or West Hollywood.

The school's public address system crackled to life in the chilly afternoon air. "Lynn Lambretta, first year middle school division – please report to the Student Discipline Room. Immediately!"

Lynn looked up from her studies, and noticed all the eyes trained on her in the study hall. "…what'd you do, Lynn?" One of her classmates asked, seeming to be as astonished as Lynn felt. "Not a clue, Shari", Lynn replied, her dark brown hair dashing about her face as she shook her head. She gathered her books and bag, and rose from her chair. Her multicolored leggings that her parents had given her were bright and cheery, compared to her rather dour middle school uniform. But the regulations allowed such variances, so long as no trousers were worn. "At least one tenth of the student's limb shall be visible below the hem of the skirt." The Academy's administrators wanted their students to be girly girls.

Lynn was one of the few tomboys at Hakuoh Jogakuin, and despite being a mere 12-year-old, she had a rather dashing and rakish flair at which even some of the older girls seemed to swoon. But there was only one girl that Lynn wished would notice her. Just one.

She walked confidently into the Student Discipline Room, not having any idea why she had been summoned. As she entered, she saw the principal, seated and with a rather dour look on her face. At one of the guest seats in front of her desk was her home room teacher, who also regarded her rather disdainfully. In the other guest seat was a man in a military uniform that she did not recognize. And in three of the four chairs arranged off to the side – the chairs reserved for students being disciplined, were two seniors with whom she was acquainted….and….her.

"Please have a seat," the principal said in deadpan. She motioned to the only empty chair. The chair next to…Her. "I believe you already know one another, so we'll dispense with introductions," the principal continued. "Ladies, this is Colonel Brendan Mays of the Stellar Military. He's assigned to their Data Integrity Division. Colonel?"

The colonel stood up and regarded each of the girls, scanning each for any hint of guilt in their young, fresh faces. "Good afternoon ladies," he began, his tone firm and his face absent of any hint of emotion. "My purpose here is to get to the bottom of the Nebula Cup disaster, and my investigation has brought me, in one way or another, to the four of you."

Lynn shifted in her chair, and noticed that the two seniors had squirmed a bit as well, but the regal, tall blonde girl seated next to her didn't even blink her emerald eyes. Instead, she stood up and started to speak, but the colonel raised his hand to halt her from speaking.

"Before any one of you utters a word, I must advise you of your rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, as well as those under the Constitution of the Stellar Alliance and the Articles of Justice of the Galactic Empire. Since they are basically the same, at least as far as this situation is concerned, I'll summarize: You are not required to, nor may you be compelled to speak in your own defense or to make any statement that could result in your self-incrimination. You have the right to legal representation. If you do speak, anything that you say can and will be used in your prosecution. Now, that being said, did you have something you wanted to say, Miss Doolittle?"

Lynn looked up at her. Jenny Doolittle was stunningly beautiful, tall for her age, statuesque, and utterly indomitable. Lynn had had a crush on her since she came to this academy, but could never bring herself to speak to her.

"I want to know why the four of us are here," Jenny said calmly. "What could anything that happened last week on Calmwind have to do with any of us?"

"At this point, Miss Doolittle, you and your two upperclassmen are simply persons of interest…possibly witnesses. The only one among you who may be indicted is you, Miss Lambretta," he said, glaring at Lynn. "I'm not here to interrogate any of you today. A team of my best forensic investigators will arrive tomorrow morning, and I'm sure that they'll want to have a few hours of your time."

He turned to the principal. "Miss Holland, I want all of the academy's outbound FTL lines shut down, if they haven't been already. My team'll be digging through the comm logs tomorrow, after they've finished questioning the girls. There may be more questioning after they've gone through the comm logs."

Jenny looked to her right at the two seniors, and then to her left at Lynn. Despite Lynn's best poker face, she could sense apprehension in the young girl. She then sat back down, as the principal stood to speak.

"Girls, I've already notified your parents…well all but yours, Lynn. I haven't been able to reach them, but I've left several messages. If you need legal representation, the power of attorney that your parents granted to the academy allows us to represent you, if you wish. Amy, Bethany, your respective parents are retaining local representation for you. Jenny, your uncle is sending the company lawyer to represent you, and he made it clear that you are not to speak to anyone until the company attorney has spoken with you. That specifically includes not speaking to any of the other girls."

"Begging your pardon ma'am, but they're my friends and members of the yacht club….how'm I supposed to not talk to them…?"

The principal slammed her hand down on her desk and cut off Jenny's sentence. "You WILL obey my instructions and those of your uncle, Miss Doolittle! The yacht club is **shut down** until this investigation is concluded…our dinghies have been recovered from their crash sites and are being impounded at the relay station…as far as I'm concerned, there is **nothing** that any of you need to say to each other that can't wait until this investigation is over! You are all dismissed!"

The two seniors sprung out of their chairs as if they had been shocked, and made for the door. Jenny stood, watched them retreat, and turned slightly to look at Lynn, who seemed to be in shock. Lynn looked up at Jenny in bewilderment, not believing what was happening. Jenny gave her a friendly nod, and then headed for the door. She desperately wanted to offer her a word of encouragement, but she knew the consequences of disobeying her uncle.

Lynn looked at the three adults as she rose from her chair. They were busy talking and didn't even look at her. She quietly shut the door as she left, and headed for her dorm room.

Jenny was furious. She watched as the two seniors disappeared down the corridor, heading to the dorm building, most likely, she thought to herself. The way they squirmed, the way that they launched out of the room like scalded dogs….it felt seriously wrong. But she dared not confront them. She was a mere second year middle school student, granted membership to the yacht club simply due to her family's connections. And then there was the look on Lynn's face…the look of a deer caught in the headlights…and it troubled her deeply. She had noticed the young tomboy in the first year class, but never seemed able to corner her to speak to her. She found her interesting…even attractive. Her boyish demeanor, her short, wavy hair, her bright blue eyes, and her roguish cockiness all created a mystique that Jenny wholeheartedly wanted to explore. But whenever she approached, the younger girl would seem to disappear in the opposite direction, as if she suddenly remembered she needed to be somewhere else. Maybe she just doesn't like me, Jenny thought to herself. There were a lot of girls at the academy that had initially perceived her as a rich brat, but had befriended her once they realized that she was just a normal, somewhat shy schoolgirl like the rest of them. She hoped that someday, perhaps Lynn would warm up to her. But that day wasn't going to be today. She headed for the transport kiosk, and caught a ride to her bungalow, a few kilometers away.

"Hurry up, Amy," Bethany grumbled. "I'm going as fast as I can, Beth," Amy replied with annoyance. "I thought we were gonna get something to eat…"

Bethany cut her off. "We need to get back to the dorm and wait for the lawyers to contact us. God, I hope our little man-girl doesn't rat us out…"

"She won't," Amy responded, trying to reassure herself more than anything else. "We're her friends, right?" She stopped suddenly, and in a low voice said,"…say…you don't think our room is bugged, do you….?"

Bethany also stopped, and turned to face Amy. "Jesus Christ monkey balls…you may be right…" She looked around, noting all the surveillance devices on light poles, kiosks, pathway lights - in fact – in just about every technological device around. She grabbed Amy's hand, and pulled her along, putting her index finger over her own lips to shush her. They hurriedly scrambled to a small clearing, near the lake on the far side of the athletic field. Bethany looked around, and could see no sign of surveillance devices.

"I think we can talk here," Bethany whispered. "Then why are we whispering?" Amy whispered back.

"Because somehow whatever we did, now the military's involved! And they're talking about indicting someone! And that someone could be us if Lynn rats us out!"

"But all we did was change the course," Amy protested, still whispering. "Why would the military care about that?"

"…I dunno…maybe one of the people who got hurt was someone important…or maybe it's 'cause we hijacked an interstellar FTL comm line…"

"Do you think Jenny knows what we did?" Amy asked softly. "I doubt it," Bethany said, shaking her head. "And we both better make sure she doesn't find out. The ones who gave us the advance course data will come after **us** if we bust the deal."

At that moment, Bethany's phone buzzed. "Hello?" she responded. "Yes I'm on campus…okay…I'll be right there…" She ended the call, and told Amy, "The lawyers are at the dorm. Let's go talk to them." Amy nodded, but looked worried. "Do we tell the advocates the whole story, then? ...all the stuff that we did…?" "Of course not!" Bethany huffed. She turned and could see the anxiety in Amy's eyes. She gently took Amy's face in her hands, and gently kissed her forehead. "Let me do the talking, okay, sweetie? We'll just tell them as much as they need to know. No one can tie us to any of it. Not the hacking, not the dinghy, not any of it. Trust me." She lifted Amy's chin with her index finger and planted a kiss on her lips. Amy buried her face in Bethany's neck and sighed. Bethany glanced up at the sky for a fleeting moment, musing about having gotten even with the little rich upstart for bumping her out of the competition. "Come on," she urged Amy, and the two headed off to the dormitory, holding hands.

Lynn wandered over to the middle school dorm, went upstairs to her room, and sat down heavily on her bed. Her roommate was off-world, so she would be alone for a few days. It was a miserable time to be alone, and she could feel the tightness in her chest. So many questions. What was this military colonel talking about? To what disaster was he referring? Why was she the one who would be indicted? Hell, what were the charges? Why was Miss Holland so intense and angry? Why couldn't she talk to Amy and Beth? She glanced up at the wall on her side of the dorm room, where all her various snapshots of Jenny Doolittle were pinned. She loved snapping pictures of her, or sharing photos and holos with members of the yacht club who would snap pictures of her in the sim, or even in flight. She picked up her print of her favorite photo of Jenny…her school ID photo that she had hacked from the school's computer. In the photo, Jenny was wearing a white dress, and her signature clover earrings and necklace. Her wavy blond hair flowed around her head and neck, and her gleaming emerald eyes exuded both kindness and aristocracy all at once. Lynn had never felt worthy to approach her, let alone speak to her. Despite all the girls in this school who had crushes on her, some of whom even confessed to her, Lynn only wanted to be with one girl, and that was Jenny. But what would happen now? What if she really was indicted? Or convicted? Or expelled? She lay back on the bed, holding the picture above her face, gazing at Jenny's gentle face. She could feel tears brimming in her eyes, and spilling down her cheeks, blurring the shining image in front of her. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Jenny arrived at her bungalow, and could see that the front door was already open. She approached hesitantly, but from inside a young woman's voice called out to her. "Jennifer, is that you? Get your ass in here! We've got a lot of ground to cover!"

Jenny walked in, and regarded the young, petite Asian woman who had so rudely addressed her. Dressed in a business suit with a scandalously short slit skirt stood Keiko Takeda, one of the company's lawyers. She mused to herself, probably one of Uncle Robert's mistresses as well.

"Come sit down!" Keiko commanded. Jenny sauntered over casually, willfully annoying the young woman. As attractive as she was, Jenny wouldn't want even the sweetest part of her. "What's this all about, anyway?" Jenny inquired as she sat down, placing a throw pillow between her butt and Keiko's.

Keiko observed the separation maneuver and regarded her with disdain. "This'll actually go a lot faster and more efficiently if you let me ask the questions and you just answer them. I don't want to taint your responses with information that you don't have, nor do you need to have. Got it?"

"…got it…" Jenny muttered. She really disliked Keiko from a young age, but she also knew that the pretty little mouthpiece had her family's best interests at heart.

"You attended the 13th Nebula Cup last week on Calmwind, right?" Takeda asked.

"I did." Jenny was going to be as uncooperative as possible, without being outright insubordinate.

"Did you compete?" Takeda continued, appearing not to notice or care about Jenny's obstinacy.

"Yes." Jenny deadpanned. Wasn't much of a competition. She had made it through the first two of the checkpoints, but caught a severe gust and lost one of her control surfaces. With only her starboard canarderon attached, she had desperately fought the controls and spiraled from about a thousand meters in a long, terrifying descent until she crashed into a peat bog. She had been lucky…dozens of others hadn't.

"When did you receive your course map?" Takeda queried.

"Just before the starting gun." It was a strange question. No one gets a copy of the course until a few seconds before the mag-lock releases. That was one of the cardinal rules of yacht racing.

"…so…you didn't have any advance knowledge of the course…?"

Jenny sat up straight. "What…?"

"Yes or No?" Takeda demanded.

"…no…" Jenny muttered softly, stunned at the notion of anyone cheating.

"I sure hope your answers to the Board of Inquiry will be more resolute," Keiko sneered.

"Tell me about that first year…Lambretta….do you know her?"

"Not as well as I'd like…" Jenny mused, a smile curving her mouth.

"Careful, little girl," Keiko warned. "Don't forget your responsibilities to the family. What do you know about her? And why do you have pictures of her on your wall?

Jenny glowered at her. "You went through my room? And what're you trying to imply? I'm barely thirteen, and she's only twelve. She's cute and I just want to be friends with her."  
>"…cute…" Keiko coughed. "Must be some new definition of the word, "cute" that I missed."<p>

"I don't care what you think of her," Jenny scowled. "I like her."

"Fine," Keiko said softly, and then went right back to her interrogation. "Are you aware of any members of your yacht club engaging in data piracy?"

"No." Jenny said resolutely. "We're the best. We don't need to cheat."

"What about your "cute" little first year?"

"She's not even a member of the yacht club. Why would she do such a thing, **IF** she even **could** do such a thing?"

"Well, someone did. And it's serious." Keiko reached out and took Jenny's hand in hers. For Jenny, it felt really awkward. "Listen to me carefully, Jenny," Keiko said, a very fervent look in her eyes. "You've never liked me…I know that…it's probably my fault….I'm a self-righteous, ambitious, pushy little bitch and I always have been. I grew up with five brothers and they're all doctors, lawyers or politicians…My father serves on the Galactic Empire's High Court. My whole life, I've always had to prove myself. But this situation could have far-reaching consequences for Hugh and Doolittle. My job here is to protect you and the company. Please help me to do my job." Her hand holding Jenny's was trembling, and her eyes were intense.

"Tomorrow, you and I will be sitting in front of some of the best-trained interrogators of the Stellar Military. If I don't like the question that they ask, I'll squeeze your hand…like this…and I'll object to the question. Don't say a word until I stop squeezing. And if they ask a question that you don't want to answer, you squeeze my hand…harder…yes, just like that. And we'll talk it over outside before you answer. Okay?"

"Just what the hell is going on?" Jenny finally demanded, still holding her hand. "This is the craziest thing I've ever heard. The race hits a bit of bad weather, people wipe out, and suddenly there's a military tribunal? Seriously, what the hell?"

"I cannot – no, I WILL not risk tainting your testimony tomorrow. There is just too much at stake. What you don't know can't hurt us, but if your answers suggest to them that you know something, they will pick you apart and tear you to pieces. Along with Hugh and Doolittle." Keiko smiled at her gently. "We'll get through this. Now let's eat, and get some sleep. I just jumped here all the way from Orion, and I'm beat." Jenny nodded, regarding the young woman with more respect than before. She was still a bitch, but she was a decent bitch, and her heart was in the right place.


	2. Chapter 2 Defense Strategies

A knock at their dorm room door woke Amy and Beth from their brief nap. They were snuggled up on the bed, more or less still in uniform. "I'll see who it is," said Amy, zipping her skirt and buttoning up her blouse.

Beth sat up, her uniform equally disheveled. What had started out as a brief afternoon nap had turned into a passionate making out session, during which both of them had fallen asleep in each other's arms. She looked out the window, and saw the sun setting amidst the belt of stars that adorned the Tau system. "Beth, get dressed…they're here!" Amy called out. Beth pulled her uniform back together, leaving her necktie hanging loosely around her neck, and her top few buttons undone. She stepped out of the bedroom into the living room, where two women in business suits were waiting with Amy. "Bethany Devereaux?" one of the women chimed. "Yes," Beth replied, rubbing her eyes. "I'm Ariana Ortega, and this is Marissa Villanueva. We're here to represent the two of you," announced the taller woman. The shorter of the two, with long, blond hair spoke. "You can call me Marissa. We have a lot to discuss, but first –" She took out a small electronic device and aimed it slowly around the room. It beeped several times during her sweep. She turned to Ariana. "It's not safe to talk here. Seven bugs, all military grade."

"Fix up your uniforms, girls," Ariana intoned. "There's a little café nearby. We can talk there."

A short while later, Marissa pulled over to the left in front of an antique-looking building, a wooden shingle hanging in front. The Lamp House. The four got out and went inside. Inside, a bevy of young women dressed in maid uniforms gathered shoulder-to-shoulder at the reception kiosk, bowed deeply, and welcomed them. "I'd like my normal booth," Ariana said flatly to the young girl who approached them. "Of course, ma'am," she smiled, and led them to a booth far in the rear of the establishment. "What's the special today, Cathy?" asked Marissa sweetly. The girl tossed her hair back and announced, as if reading from a script, "We have a lovely, limited edition Orange Pekoe Tea from the grand continent on Sea of the Forest Star, and we have a very rich dark roasted coffee grown in the mountains of old Earth, on the Southern surviving continent of the Americas."

"Old Earth, huh?" Ariana grunted. "Sounds expensive…"

"It is," Cathy responded, as perky as ever. "But it's worth the price just to inhale the aroma."

"Okay," Ariana said finally. "Four Earth coffees and four chocolate parfaits."

"Very good, ma'am," Cathy beamed. "I'll be right back!"

A few minutes later, Cathy and another girl arrived, one carrying a tray with a large, polished silver carafe of coffee and 4 glass mugs with silver frames and handles. The other girl carried a tray with four of the Lamp House's famous chocolate parfaits. They set them down and served each of the women a parfait and a mug, pouring the first round of coffee. The rich, heady aroma wafted around the table, getting everyone's attention. "Is there anything else you ladies need?" Cathy asked with her usual perkiness. Ariana handed her a wad of cash. "We'd like to be undisturbed. Just tell us when it's closing time. Otherwise, leave us be. Keep the change."

Cathy looked down at the wad in her hand with wide eyes. "Yes, Ma'am!" she glowed. "Please come again!" She and the other girl retreated quickly back to the front.

"So," Ariana began. "Tell us everything you know about the Nebula Cup Disaster. And I do mean everything."

The girls looked at each other, and Beth spoke. "We heard that they hit some bad weather, and there were a lot of wipe-outs -"

"Stop right there, Miss Devereaux," Ariana glared across the table at her. "I don't want to know what you HEARD. I want to know what you KNOW. And I know that you know exactly what happened on Calmwind. Now, start again, and don't try to bullshit me. We can't protect you if you don't trust us. If you don't trust us, just say so, and we will leave, and you two can figure this shit out for yourselves." Ariana started to rise from her chair, as did Marissa.

"…no, please don't go…" Amy whimpered, looking desperately at Beth. "We have to tell them the truth, Beth!" The women settled back into their chairs, gazing expectantly at Beth.

Beth closed her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. "…fine..." she said, looking directly into Ariana's eyes. "This is what happened."

Jenny hastily made dinner. As she put the plates on the dining table, Keiko stepped in, her nightwear even more scandalous than her business wear. Jenny certainly knew how to appreciate eye candy, and despite her generally negative feelings toward Keiko, her eyes were having a feast.

"Looks good," commented Keiko, picking up her chopsticks.

"I just cobbled some things together," Jenny said with little enthusiasm, also picking up her chopsticks. They each pressed their hands together in prayer. "Itadakimasu", they said in unison, and began quietly eating.

"…is Lynn going to be able to get an advocate…?" Jenny asked, barely above a whisper.

Keiko looked up from her plate, saw the look in Jenny's eyes, and set down her chopsticks. "Okay, out with it. What is she to you?"

"It's not like that – "Jenny started to protest, but Keiko cut her off. "Bullshit!" Keiko blurted. "Look, you and I are more alike than either of us would ever admit. We both like girls…and we've both been betrothed since we were little children to men that we've barely met….and we'll both probably find them to be intolerable."

Jenny regarded her in silence for a moment. It was true. Keiko had been promised by her parents to marry the eldest son of the eldest son of the Doolittle family, her cousin, Robert junior. And she herself had been promised to the son of a politician. She had only met her betrothed once, and he was a buffoonish, self-centered girly-boy. Even his name, Junigh, sounded like a girl's name. And as for her cousin, he was the exact opposite of his father, an officer in the Stellar Military. Cousin Robert was also a girly-boy, self absorbed, self-centered, egotistical and smug. And those were his good points.

"If you're feeling sorry for me, don't." Keiko intoned, reading the look in Jenny's eyes. "Now, I need an answer. What is she to you? Tell me the truth!"

"…I just….I just don't want anything bad to happen to her…I like her…I don't want to see her get into trouble…"

Keiko took another bite of her food, mulling over Jenny's good nature. "Ninety percent of the attorneys and paralegals here on Sea of the Morning Star are in one way or another indentured to Hugh and Doolittle. It's one of the reasons why we never lose at trial…it's one of the reasons why most litigants settle when they know that we're on the other side of the table. So…whoever represents her…will most likely also be looking out for our interests."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," Jenny moped. "Can't you fix it so that she gets someone that could really help her? Someone who could face down those military bullies?"

Keiko mulled some more, as she chewed another bite. It would be a dishonor for her family if she refused to marry Robert, but if the Doolittles fired her, and perhaps cancelled the wedding plans….

"…someone who could face the military, huh?" she chewed. "Ya know? …there might just be someone that I could call…" She leaned across the table, with a rakish grin that made Jenny shiver. "….soooo…..what's in it for me, little kitten?"

Jenny swallowed hard. She felt like the canary looking up at the cat. "If you keep her out of trouble…I'll do anything you want…." She said softly, knowing full well what she might be in store for. Still, she thought, looking across at Keiko's pale yet healthy cleavage, and her curvy, smooth legs tucked underneath her, it might not be all that bad.

"...by the way, there's only one bed here…" Jenny said softly. "Don't fret, sweetie," Keiko laughed. "I'll take the sofa."

"What I meant, was," Jenny continued, a little annoyed, "we both need to get a good rest and be in top form tomorrow, and my bed is a triple large, so you can sleep there with me…just behave."

Keiko regarded her with some respect. She had grown so much, and become so mature since she had last seen her. "I gratefully accept," Keiko said, gently running her fingers through Jenny's soft blond hair. "And rest easy. What I want from you in return for saving your little friend's butt has nothing to do with sex. You're adorable, but you're still just a child." She smiled, as Jenny breathed a sigh of relief. And just a little bit of disappointment.

Lynn heard a knock at her dorm room door. She set down her book and walked to the door. "Who is it?" she called out. "I'm your attorney, little missy" a woman's voice with an odd accent came from the other side. Lynn looked at the clock. It was past curfew, and outsiders were never allowed in the dorms without an escort after curfew. She opened the door, and the woman walked right in, and sat on Lynn's roommate's bed. "Well don't just stand there, lassie" she chided to Lynn. "We have a lot to talk about tonight."

Lynn closed the door, and slowly walked over and sat down on her bed, facing the woman. She seemed to be in her mid sixties, slim and slight in build, with wavy auburn hair and intense green eyes. She opened up her computer, and started tapping away at the keypad. "So, you're twelve years old, your parents are planetary archaeologists, and this is your first year on Sea of the Morning-star…right?"

"…uh…yes…" Lynn answered warily. The woman looked up at her, as if she just realized something. "Sorry," she began, "I've studied your file so thoroughly I feel as if I already know you." She laughed slightly, and then continued, "I'm Maddie, your attorney." She reached across the short table and offered her hand. Lynn took her hand and gave her a firm handshake. "So the school sent you here?" Lynn inquired. "Not exactly," Maddie replied. "I'm doing a favor for a friend. There'll be no cost to you, your parents or the school. Also, I spoke a wee bit to the school's assigned advocate, and I asked her what would happen if the school's interests in this matter were incompatible with yours. She said she would have to discontinue representing you if that came up….so…it's up to you. Do you want me to stay and continue this?"

Lynn thought for a moment. "I'd like to know who's paying my tab…who is this friend who owes you a favor and decided to bestow it on me?

Maddie smiled broadly. "I like you, little missy," she beamed. "You're the spittin' image o'me when I was a lass…all full of yourself…brassy…a wee bit cocky…but sorry….the terms of our agreement are that you either accept me or you don't. My employer insists on being anonymous."

Lynn thought for a few moments more. She knew that her parents were struggling to pay her tuition to this prestigious girls' academy, and that hiring an attorney would strain them further. And she was disheartened by the allegation that the school would throw her under the bus if need be, even though she still had no idea what she had done wrong. And this woman had an air of honesty, and down-to-the-ground kindness. She reminded her of her late grandmother. "All right," Lynn decided. "But I don't even know what this is all about…why am I in trouble? Why do I NEED an attorney?"

Maddie smiled gently. "There, there, now little miss. Let's take it one step at a time, and not get too troubled, eh?" Lynn nodded. "Good, then. Why don't you start by telling me about the Nebula Cup?" "I don't know anything about the Nebula Cup," Lynn offered. "I'm not even in the yacht club…I don't really care much about space ships or space travel…really, I'm kind of sick of it."

"That's right; you traveled with your parents all over until you started this middle school, yes? So your only friends were a pick, a shovel and an ultrasonic imaging scanner?" she asked with a slight laugh.

Lynn didn't find it funny. "Please don't misunderstand," she said. "I love my parents, and I'm deeply grateful for all the sacrifices they've made for me. You're right, this is the first time I've had real friends, and a feeling of permanence. Space travel is tedious and repetitious. Endless inspections, checklists, malfunctions –" she grasped her hair in her hands. "Ugh! I don't even want to think about it…" Maddie came over and sat beside her on the bed, gently putting an arm around Lynn's shoulders. "Don't fret, child," she cooed, and looked up behind them at the pictures on Lynn's wall. "She's pretty…a friend of yours?"

Lynn looked up at them as well. "Just someone that I admire…she's really popular…everyone admires her…"

"Aye," Maddie smiled. "And as they should. Miss Jenny Doolittle. She'd be quite the catch."

"You know her?" Lynn asked, surprised. "Not personally," Maddie replied. "Though I remember meeting her and her father when she was a wee lass."

"I just wanted her to notice me…" Lynn said softly. Maddie regarded her for a moment, searching for the right words. "It's hard, isn't it?" Maddie thought out loud. "You see someone who puts a flutter in your heart, and you dinna know what to do…and not knowing what to do…you just DO something…right?"

"…yeah…" Lynn continued softly, staring at her shoes. "..they said she would notice me if I –" She stopped suddenly and looked up at Maddie. "They?" Maddie inquired. Lynn pulled away from the woman. "You're trying to get me to snitch on someone else, right?" Lynn fumed. Maddie shifted a bit, turned to Lynn and firmly grasped her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes, her accent thickening. "Listen to me. This is no' some silly code of honor in your little girl school, where no one likes a tattle tale. This is the real world, and ye can be crushed like a wee lil' bug." She squeezed Lynn's shoulders hard for a moment, making the girl wince in discomfort. "Let me read you the charges, and the possible outcome, and ye decide if ye want to take one for the team and let whoever put you up to this skate away laughing while you fall on your sword." The grandmotherly demeanor was gone. Maddie's intense gaze drilled into Lynn, filling her with fright and exhilaration all at once. "…I'll tell you everything…" Lynn said quietly.

Robert Doolittle's shuttle hung above the Hugh and Doolittle shipyard's primary dry dock, where the keel of a massive battleship was being laid. She would be the sixth in the Maricot Class, but she would have more firepower and advanced technology than any of her sisters. He watched on the monitors as one of the dock workers welded a metal plate bearing his name and signature to the primary sill of the massive starship. His military career was winding down, and he looked forward to the day when he would command his company's largest warship. "Beware the Jabberwocky," he mused aloud. The pilot looked over at him. "Sir?" the pilot asked, not wanting his superior officer to think he was ignoring him. Doolittle shook his head, a slight smile on his lips. "Nothing, lieutenant," he said. "Just an old poem, from an old, dead world." But, he thought to himself, looking out at the expanse that would one day become his enormous vessel, there will be no frabjous day, nor shouts of Callooh! Callay! **No one** would slay THIS Jabberwocky. His Carrollesque reverie was interrupted by the beeping of the comm system. "Sir," the pilot called out. "You have an incoming transmission from Tau Ceti three."

"I'll take it in the aft compartment," he replied, realizing only at that moment how gay that sounded. "Make it a secure channel." "Yes sir," the pilot replied smartly, routing the call out of the normal comm lines and disengaging the automatic logging protocol. He knew his boss well enough to know that if he wanted a secure line, he didn't want it logged.

"Colonel Mays," Doolittle greeted the man on the video screen, noting from the icon at the bottom right that both sides of the conversation were secure. "Have you found out anything?"

"Not yet, General," Mays replied. "My team has arrived, and they're settling in. We have a pretty good idea who our suspect is, and the school has assured me that they'll hand her over with very little drama. The principal insisted that the school at least give the appearance of acting in her defense. The only snag that I see is that she's just a child."

"How old?" Doolittle queried. "She's a first year middle school student," Mays replied, looking down at her file. "That would make her about twelve."

"That's fine." Doolittle grunted. "We're not looking for an execution, anyway. Just knock her around a bit, and offer a plea deal. Who's her family?"

"They're no one in particular, sir. Planetary archaeologists. None of any prominence. I'm sure they'll roll over easily."

"Good," Doolittle approved, a slight, devious smile creasing his lips. "What about the other matter?"

"No further contact, sir. Whatever they were, they slipped through our frontier headed for Orion. There were three distinct energy signatures, battleship class from the look of them. Some anomalous gravity wave readings were logged as well. We've plotted every possible course along their last known trajectory, but no other sightings have been reported. All of the listening posts along that route have all reported in, so there's been no hostile action that we're aware of."

"Any Empire traffic?" Doolittle definitely didn't want THEM involved.

"Empire comm traffic has been strangely silent, sir," Mays replied. "A few blips here and there, but nothing about – That."

"Very well then," Doolittle said with finality. "I want this done quickly and by the numbers. Hold your hearings, find her guilty, and get her the hell off Tau and away from my niece."

"Yes, sir!" Mays responded, signing off.

Robert Doolittle allowed himself a broad grin. In the dim light of the aft compartment, he almost seemed to have fangs. Soon, he thought to himself. Soon he will be back in control of the company, after a long and glorious military career, and back in control of everything else. Everything was coming together. It was going to be amazing. He looked down at his personal data tablet, and began reviewing a technical letter about a prototype gravity wave propulsion system. He leaned back and stretched. Indeed, things were going to be truly amazing.


	3. Chapter 3 Interviews I

It had rained all night, and there was still a mist hanging in the morning air. Amy, Beth, Lynn and their respective counsel shivered as they gathered at the administration building. Lynn had allowed Maddie to choose her clothing that morning. She felt strange, not wearing her usual long stockings, instead wearing a mid-thigh-high skirt and heels. Maddie even insisted on doing her hair in a girly fashion, and having her wear a little bit of makeup. Maddie had told her, "Ye remind me so much of me when I was a wee lass. But in times like this, the tough little tomboy needs to step aside, and let the little timid lassie within step out and show herself."

She looked up at Maddie, and gestured toward the others. "Why won't they let us talk to each other?"

"To whom are ye referring, lass?" Maddie inquired. Lynn gestured again at her friends. "The principal forbade us girls to talk with each other until the investigation is over."

"We'll see about that," Maddie fumed. "She canna do that."

Nearby, in their well-pressed uniforms, were a dozen or so officers of the Stellar Military. An academy staff member opened the lobby door, and everyone filed in. Colonel Mays ordered his group to divide into four teams of three, and each team beckoned to each of the girls and their representatives to enter four different conference rooms. Amy looked at Beth with consternation. "They're splitting us up?" she whispered, looking at both Beth and their advocates. Ariana placed a hand on Amy's shoulder. "It'll be fine," she reassured. "Marissa will be with you, and I'll be with Beth. Answer the questions, unless we object to them. Don't volunteer any information, and don't express any opinions. We'll get through this."

As Maddie filed in, she nodded to the colonel. "Colonel Mays," she greeted pleasantly, saluting with her folded umbrella. "General MacDougall," Mays nodded and saluted smartly. "What brings you here today?"

"I'm the legal representative for Miss Lambretta," Maddie replied. "You?" Mays sputtered. "But I thought – " He turned to the school staff member with a puzzled look. The staff member indicated toward the principal, who was just coming into the lobby. "Good morning, Colonel," Miss Holland intoned. "Good morning, Miss Holland. Where is the Hakuoh academy representative for Miss Lambretta? There appears to be some sort of confusion."

"There's nae confusion," Maddie retorted. "I offered her me services, and she accepted. Here's her signed retainer agreement."

"She's not old enough to make that decision for herself," Colonel Mays protested. "Hakuoh Academy has a signed, notarized power of attorney from Miss Lambretta's parents. Begging your pardon, General, but you cannot represent her."

"I was actually hoping that would be your ruling, colonel," Maddie began, much to Lynn's surprise. "After all, if she isn't old enough to retain her own counsel, then under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, she's not old enough to stand trial. You can just dismiss the case now, and we'll leave."

Mays scowled. This was not part of the plan. Someone had thrown a wrench into the machinery. He turned to Lynn. "Miss Lambretta, if she hasn't already told you, she and I have served together in the Stellar Military. Having her as your advocate could be a conflict of interest." Lynn listened and then turned to Maddie.

"Brendan, you're so predictable. Data Integrity Division is right where you belong." She smiled sweetly, as his scowl deepened. She turned to Lynn. "He is correct, lassie, we did serve together and I was his commanding officer. But I'm retired, and so there is no conflict as far as I'm concerned. Knowing all of this, it's your choice and yours alone if you still want me to represent ye."

"Well there may be a conflict as far as I'm concerned," Mays snapped back. "You should recuse yourself, General."

"No laddie, that's not how it works, and you bloody well know it," she continued, her patronizing smile even sweeter. "Your perception of conflict doesn't deprive her of her choice of counsel. In accordance with Title twelve, if **you** still feel that there's a conflict, it is **you** who should recuse **your**self. I'll leave it up to you. You're the serving flag officer in this inquiry. Now, where do you want us to meet?"

"Room 204, second floor." Mays fumed. Doolittle was going to be furious. How had their mutual commanding officer found about any of this, and why was she here? After she had retired, he had heard rumors that she became an auditor general for the Galactic Empire, reporting directly to the Queen's top admiral. And now she was sticking her nose into this matter. How much did she know? He wondered to himself. He headed to his transport. He had to contact Doolittle.

"We're going to be late," Jenny snipped, watching with some fascination as Keiko donned a clean business suit, at the same time admiring herself in the mirror with the suit that Keiko brought for her. Her own hemline wasn't quite as scandalous as Keiko's, however.

"Late for what?" Keiko snipped back. "They haven't served you as much as a summons. We're being generous for agreeing to meet with them on a Saturday before the beginning of an exam week. Screw them. We'll get there when we get there."

Jenny looked her up and down. "You're going to wear – THAT? In front of the military?"

"Especially in front of the military," Keiko grinned. "Jenny, you're a very pretty girl from a wealthy family, and doors just open naturally in front of you. I have to work at it, so that means I have to work with the assets that I have." She jutted out one knee while turning the other leg outward, displaying her shapely calves. "Those military dorks can only see a woman when they've got their credit card out, and ninety percent of being an attorney is distraction and misdirection. Trust me."

Jenny smiled to herself, imagining such a thing. She had enjoyed her bath with Keiko that morning, and hadn't realized how much she missed having another girl wash her, and to be able to return that favor. A bond was forming between the two, and it actually felt good. Jenny hoped she would stick around.

The two young women walked out to a waiting car. A young, smartly-dressed man with dark glasses stood ready to open the back door for them. "Good morning ladies," he greeted, smoothing a cowlick of hair at the crown of his wavy brown tresses. No sooner had he smoothed it down, it popped up again. "Morning, Shane," Keiko greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. "This is Jenny Doolittle." "Miss," Shane nodded to her, ushering them into the car. "Everything ready, Shane?" Keiko asked. Without even looking up into the rear view mirror, his response was terse and professional. "Shuttle's prepped and ready whenever you are, Miss. The ship we hired is in orbit and waiting for us. Also, there's a message from your father on the secure link."

"Got it..." Keiko mumbled, pulling up her message. She quickly read the message, and a slight smile creased her lips. The crap was already hitting the fan. Now it was just a matter of time.

The car pulled up in front of the administration building, and Shane opened the door for the women.

"I've got a few more loose ends to tie up," he said to Keiko. "Page me when you're ready to be picked up."

"Thanks, Shane," Keiko winked at him, as she twirled about, hooked her arm into Jenny's and headed for the building as the car departed.

As they walked into the building, they could see the colonel and the principal talking at the reception desk. The colonel looked over at them as they approached, and the principal sneered at Jenny. "Do you know what time it is?" she demanded, looking at Jenny's business suit. "And do you not know the regulations about wearing your uniform?"

Keiko squeezed Jenny's hand, and spoke for her. "First of all, Miss Holland, is it? Today is not a regular school day, so wearing of the uniform is optional, even on school premises. Article seventeen, paragraph three and four, if I'm not mistaken. Furthermore, no time was specified. I believe you said "morning", colonel, and – " she glanced at her watch, showing about ten minutes before noon, "as far as I can tell, it's still morning."

The colonel stepped from behind the desk, and bowed courteously to her. "Lady Takeda", he started, with some requisite toadying. "Your presence honors us. I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Oh?" Keiko feigned surprise, raising an eyebrow. "Was there someone in particular you were expecting? Perhaps Mr. Weinstein?"

"Actually, yes. I was told that Karl was going to be Miss Doolittle's advocate. Did something happen?"

"I don't know what to tell, you, Colonel," Keiko shrugged. "Jenny's father told Karl to stay put, and told me to come here. It was very inconvenient for me. I had plans." Jenny looked back and forth at the two of them, puzzled. They seemed to know each other, and the colonel treated her with such fake reverence. She found it fascinating and infuriating all at once. A commotion upstairs caught all of their attention.

"Listen to me, lieutenant," Maddie's voice carried in a shrill tone. "Until all of you get your act together, we're leaving! Come on, lassie. We're done here!" The two descended the stairs to the first floor, when Maddie noticed Jenny and Keiko. She pulled Lynn along, and went to greet them. Lynn almost seemed to have a look of terror in her eyes.

"Felicitations, Lady Takeda," she curtsied, almost putting one knee to the floor, and motioning to Lynn to do the same. Lynn, puzzled, also curtsied deeply, probably for the first time in her life. "General MacDougall," Keiko greeted. "I'm honored to see you again. Do you know Jenny Doolittle, of the Hugh and Doolittle Company?"

"I do indeed," Mattie gushed. "Hello there, little miss. It's been a long time." Jenny looked at her. She had met her somewhere, to be sure. That accent was unmistakable. "Yes," she finally said. "It's nice to see you again…" As her voice trailed off, her eyes became glued to Lynn. She had never seen Lynn dressed so nicely, with her hair arranged in bangs and pinned back, and a slight hint of makeup. And those legs, she thought to herself. Lynn was stunning. Her heart was pounding. "Ah, I see you've noticed me little lassie here," Maddie indicated Lynn. "This is my client, Lynn Lambretta." Keiko reached out a hand, and Lynn took it and gripped it firmly. "Nice firm grip for a little girl," Keiko teased. "Do you know Jenny?" Lynn and Jenny looked at each other nervously. Lynn had never seen Jenny in a business suit – it made her look a bit mannish. It was as if their personae had been reversed. She was dolled up as a girl, and Jenny was decked out like a boy. Jenny spoke. "We've never met," she said, offering Lynn her hand, "but I'm really happy to finally meet you." Lynn took Jenny's hand in hers, but held it gently, almost reverently. "It's really nice to meet you, too, miss Doolittle." "Please," Jenny purred. "Call me Jenny." Lynn hesitated. Miss Holland was still there watching them both with an imperious look on her face. "…uh…Jenny…senpai…" Jenny smiled, shook her head and took both of Lynn's hands in hers. "…no…no honorifics…no pretenses…just Jenny. Please." Lynn nodded nervously, her hands trembling in Jenny's gentle grasp. "Jenny," she said softly, looking up into her beautiful green eyes.

Miss Holland had seen quite enough. "All right ladies, that's all very sweet and adorable, but you are ignoring my instructions and your uncle's orders!" as she glared at Jenny. Maddie turned to her, staring her down. "To which "uncle" are you referring? And exactly what are these "orders?" she demanded. Miss Holland was not to be intimidated. "Robert Doolittle, the chief of Hugh and Doolittle Interstellar Transportation, gave strict orders for me to relay to Miss Doolittle. She is not to have any contact with the other girls, including Miss Lambretta. By having them together, you are subverting his orders AND mine!".

Maddie chuckled, looking knowingly over at Keiko. Keiko just winked back at her. "So General Robert Doolittle, of the Stellar Military, is giving orders to Miss Jenny Doolittle, regarding a matter that is strictly an internal matter for Hugh and Doolittle…right?" Miss Holland's mouth dropped open a bit. "After all, Jenny's tuition is paid by Hugh and Doolittle, which is currently under the control of her father, James Doolittle…seems to me that it would be a huge conflict of interest for a three star general in the stellar military – the same military that purchases equipment, ships and other supplies from Hugh and Doolittle, to have any involvement in the company until his military career is over…" she turned to the colonel, who had been having a hushed conversation with the lieutenant who had been upstairs. He had turned to listen when he heard the general's name mentioned. "Wouldn't ye agree, Colonel Mays?"

"Frankly, General, I find all of your antics disagreeable." Mays retorted. "The girls can talk to each other all they want. I don't care. I want to know why you and Miss Lambretta are refusing to cooperate with my staff!"

"Refusing to cooperate, are we?" she laughed. "Dinna your lieutenant explain my complaint? It was an official complaint, to be properly documented in accordance with stellar law! Now don't tell me he failed to register my complaint with the serving flag officer! I'll bloody have to file another complaint!"

The lieutenant stammered, "Sir, she seems to think that you have to be present during our interview with Miss Lambretta…" "That's a load of crap, General," Mays burst. "I can't be at each interview. I'll be present for the hearings, but that's it."

"Your lieutenant was swearing us in. That makes it a hearing. And a flag officer must be present for any hearing. Do you want me to quote the regulations?"

"It's not a hearing," Mays was getting exasperated. "It's more like a deposition. And in a deposition, you're put under oath." "Ah, that's different!" Mattie exclaimed, and then turned pure deadpan. "My client declines to be deposed. We're done here until we receive a summons to a hearing. Good day!" She waved at Keiko and Jenny, and then ushered Lynn along with her out the door.

Both Jenny and Keiko watched as Lynn walked away with Maddie. "She really is cute," Keiko commented. "She cleans up nicely." Jenny made a "pfft" sound, and turned to Keiko. "I don't care how she looks, or how she's dolled up. She's just beautiful. That's what I see."

Keiko laughed. "Tell her how you feel, not me."

Keiko turned to the colonel and opened her mouth to speak, but Mays cut her off. "Your client is a witness, Lady Takeda. I hope you weren't going to try to skip out as well."

"It was worth a shot," Keiko smiled. "All right, where do you want us to meet?" "Upstairs," Mays replied tersely. "Room 209."


End file.
